


The Benefits of Circumstance

by aleclightwouldnt



Category: Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Alternate Universe - Normal Life, Angst, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, I apologize in advance, M/M, Multi, oblivious idiots, this is such a cliche au but I love it I'm sorry, this'll probably go back and forth between tooth rotting and soul crushing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-28
Updated: 2016-01-28
Packaged: 2018-05-16 22:22:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5843203
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aleclightwouldnt/pseuds/aleclightwouldnt
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alec Lightwood spends his days working for a company owned by his father, who hasn't treated him the same ever since he came out a couple of years ago. Now the time has come again for the annual Lightwood family vacation to a resort in California--and Alec is anything but thrilled. Isabelle, interning for a fashion magazine called Pandemonium, tells him that he should bring a fake boyfriend along to make a point to their father. There's only one problem with that: Alec has no idea who to bring.<br/>Luckily, Isabelle has a solution for that, too: Magnus Bane, her stunning coworker who's turned Alec into a flustered mess every time they've met.  Will Alec survive the trip with his breathtaking fake boyfriend and infuriating father?</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Benefits of Circumstance

**Author's Note:**

> I have a weakness for fake dating fics, as well as for malec, so I figured I'd torture myself by combining the two. I hope you all enjoy it, let me know what you think!

Alec trudged into the cafe around 1 o’clock and scanned the room for his sister. They always met for lunch on Tuesdays, and today Isabelle had selected a small little cafe a few blocks from the office where he worked. The walls were a faded, sky-blue color, and the decor reminded him of every description of a cafe that he's ever read. As usual, Izzy wasn’t hard to find—he saw her bright red coat on the back of her chair before he saw her. 

“Alec!” she greeted cheerfully when she saw him approaching the table she’d selected, “Hey, big brother.”

“Hey, Izzy,” he replied, taking a seat across from her after removing his long black coat and placing it on his chair. 

“How’s work been?” she asked, sipping from her coffee cup, “Oh, and I ordered you a cup of the medium roast. Two sugars, just how you like it.”

“Thanks,” he said with a smile, taking a sip from the mug in front of him, “Work has been… Well, you know. Working for our dad isn’t the most thrilling experience.”

“I think that applies to most banks, not just dad’s,” Izzy pointed out, “Honestly, I don’t know how you do it. At least working for Pandemonium is exciting. There are so many cool people, and every day is different. It’s great.”

“Well, I couldn’t exactly have refused when dad offered me the job,” Alec sighed, “Not unless I wanted to lose his respect even earlier than I did. I guess it wouldn’t have mattered in the long run, anyway.”

Isabelle nodded solemnly, understanding. “That reminds me, are you ready for the resort trip? I think we leave in a week.”

Alec groaned, leaning back in his chair. “I totally forgot about that. Do you think I can get out of it?”

“Have you ever been able to get out of it before?” Izzy asked, already knowing the answer.

“These trips have been hell ever since I came out,” Alec explained, although he knew his sister already knew, “I’m just going to have to put up with dad’s silent judgement the whole time and pretend to enjoy myself.”

“You know,” Isabelle mused, “If you brought a boyfriend with you like I’m bringing Simon, it’d be a great way to stick it to him.”

“I think you’re forgetting one important detail, Izzy,” he replied dryly, “I don’t have a boyfriend.”

“I know, I know,” she said with a dismissive wave of her hand, “What if… What if you pretended to date someone and brought him with?”   
Alec laughed; he couldn’t help it.

“Shut up, it could work,” she insisted, crossing her arms over her chest, “If you get someone on board, you can rub it in dad’s face all week, and then return to your normal relationship-less life.”

“Okay,” Alec began, doubtful, “Let’s say I agreed to your ridiculous plan. Who would I even ask? That’s not a normal request, Izzy. I can’t just go up to a guy and say, ‘Hey, my dad’s a total ass, do you wanna be my fake boyfriend for a week on a family vacation to spite him?’.”

“I think I have an idea,” she said, a mischievous grin spreading across her face. Alec raised an eyebrow.

“Magnus Bane,” she explained, still grinning, “You know, the one I work with? Who you’ve met at the parties I’ve brought you to, not to mention how much you fawn over him every time? I think he’d do nicely.”

Alec fought to keep his cheeks from growing pink. “No way, Isabelle.”

“Come on, why not?” his sister protested, “He’d definitely go for it.”

“I said no,” he insisted, trying to push the man in question out of his thoughts.

“Alec, seriously?” Isabelle demanded, “This is the perfect opportunity to get back at dad for being such a dick to you. Showing up with Magnus Bane would be like giving him the bird right to his face. Tell me you wouldn’t love that.”  
Alec hesitated, contemplating the idea, and that was all Izzy needed to keep going. 

“See?” she continued, “You want to do it. I’ll tell you what, I’ll talk to Magnus this afternoon at work and see what he says. If he says no—which won’t happen—I’ll drop the whole thing. But if he agrees, you’re doing it. How does that sound?”

“Do I have a choice?” Alec sighed in obvious defeat.

“Nope,” Isabelle said cheerfully.

 

*

 

It was only two hours later, back at his desk, when Alec was startled out of his daydream by the sound of his cell ringing. He glanced at the screen to see who was calling—Isabelle.

“Hello?” 

“Alec!” came his sister’s gleeful voice over the phone, way louder than necessary, “You better call mom and tell her you’ll be bringing a plus one to the resort!”

Alec gulped. “You mean—”

“Yep!” she confirmed, before he could even finish his sentence, “Magnus said he’d do it! Get your acting game ready, brother. I gave him your number so you could set up a date to get all of the details sorted out. You’re welcome!”

And with that, she hung up, leaving Alec to sit there in stunned silence. 

Oh god, he thought, What have I done?

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry this first chapter is so short (and basically just dialogue), it's more of a set-up chapter than anything else. I promise future chapters will be longer and much more exciting.


End file.
